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Just Another Essay



Big Hoodie, Little Man

Essay Posted February 5, 2008 by James E. Nelson

Two seconds before the end of Sunday night’s Super Bowl, I felt quite bad for the New England Patriots. Perfection is a worthy goal, and yet so rarely achieved, that it was hard for me not to root for them in this final stage of their march toward 19 wins in a row. But their hopes for a perfect season were dashed by an utterly awesome defense, led by Justin Tuck (who should have been MVP) and the ever ebullient Michael Strahan, as well as what may eventually be viewed as the greatest play ever in a Super Bowl (Manning to Tyree in the final Giants drive).

But then, with one second left in the game, Coach Bill Belichick walked off the field into the locker room. Belichick has the reputation of being arrogant and rude, but he’s evidently a sore loser too. When it comes to coaching there’s probably none better, but inside that fabulous hoodie is a sniveling little man.

Granted, the final play was frivolous, and it seemed silly that they had to clear the field just so Eli Manning could take a knee, but in that final second, my attitude had changed. I was graphically reminded that even if the Patriots had managed to get that illusive 19-0 season, they still would have been glaringly imperfect. They’re not nice guys; they’re bad sportsmen. They may even be cheats. Sportsmanship is quickly disappearing at all levels of the sport. I’m embarrassed to go to high school footballs games in Sioux City, because parents and kids alike not only cheer for their team, but feel the need to belittle the opponents. (The one exception I found was the ever polite Harlan fans.) Unfortunately Belichick is the poster boy of the demise of sport and the rise of pure meanness.

Contrast that with Tom Coughlin, the Giants Coach. He had the reputation of being the meanest coach (toward his players) in the business. Last year management took him aside and said that if continued being a jerk toward his team, they’d fire him. Coughlin got the message and has reinvented himself this year. The remarkable change is even evident on the sidelines, where he now smiles and interacts positively with his players (instead of just screaming and cursing at them, as he used to do). Most players are loathe to criticize their coach, and talking directly about the change from Mr. Mean to Mr. Nice would be doing just that, but even in their reluctance to criticize the old Tom Coughlin, they’ve made it abundantly clear that they very much want to work hard for the new Tom Coughlin.

I don’t want to overstate this. New England has some great players and great sportsmen and the New York football Giants have their share of jerks, but that being said, Belichick’s early exit reframed the game for me. The coach, to a certain extent, defines a team. And for this Patriots team, it was never about perfection; rather, this game was a victory of sportsmanship and grit over churlish arrogance.

And here’s an afterthought. I’m glad it was a great game instead of the predicted boring blowout. If had been a boring game I might have missed the two E*Trade commercials in the fourth quarter. That was a bit of advertising gold. AOL’s Kevin Blackistone complained about the gratuitous grossness of the kid spitting up his breakfast just as he was making his trade. But after having to suffer through watching a little kid pick his nose, a cartoon lizard farting, a bloody heart walking across the desk, and the re-creation of the infamously gross horse head in the bed scene from The Godfather, watching the little E*Trade baby spit up on the keyboard was sorta cute and cuddly.